


Jocia Wison (Remnant Fleet)

by Geonn



Series: The Remnant Fleet [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Alien Gender/Sexuality, Alien Planet, Alien Sex, Aliens, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-04
Updated: 2014-10-04
Packaged: 2018-02-19 22:03:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2404463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geonn/pseuds/Geonn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A very religious alien woman with a xenophilia fixation receives an offer that may be too good to refuse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jocia Wison (Remnant Fleet)

The song started early that night, its low hum echoing through the streets to Jocia’s window. She finished her prayers by resting the flat of her hand against the center of her face before she stood up and walked to the balcony. She lifted her veil up and over the crown of her head, letting it trail behind her as she knelt on the bolster pillow on the stone skirt that surrounded her home. From here she could see her neighbors doing the same thing, coming out of their homes to kneel and join in the song. She carefully unwrapped the beads that looped and crossed her wrists, their quiet percussion having followed her as she went about her business that day.

Once the strings were off, she undid the clasp of her necklace. She stretched it out in front of her and closed her eyes, swaying along with the music. It was louder now that her district had joined in. Some of the Great Chorus had instruments while others used only their voices. Jocia picked up the ends of her bracelet strings and wove them between her fingers. She slipped her thumb through a loop and began twisting her wrist as the many beads clacked together in the rhythm of the song.

Jocia opened her eyes mid-chorus and looked out across her district. When the Karezza first arrived, the logbooks of their ambassadors referred to the native populace as “the Weavers” due to the nature of their homes. Jocia’s home, like every other home in their section of the world, was constructed by thousands of interwoven branches and sticks. Bits of hair, feathers, animal down, mud, and fur helped seal the bond between the tightly twisted walls. Tonight, amid the music, all the homes around hers glowed from within while their occupants knelt and praised.

Though their new allies still referred to them as Weavers, Jocia’s people were actually called the Ladronis. They had lived in peace and prosperity for all of recorded history by maintaining a harmonious balance with their neighbors. Their planet had a plethora of belief systems and castes but an underlying similarity was that anything not given freely was not worth having. Therefore there was very little reason for wars or theft of any kind.

If there was discord with any of their fellows, the song would suffer. No one, no leader and no army that could be raised, would risk harming the beautiful song. She lifted her hands and heard the beads rattle together. She tilted her head back and looked up at the stars. Their world was shrouded by a stellar cloud that painted the evening sky purple and red. There, nestled like sparkling grains in the beach sand, were a handful of small Karezza ships. Their protectors, their friends from another system.

The Karezza had only arrived eighty years ago, but it was hard for any Ladronis younger than that to remember a time without them. Sometimes they traded with one another, although the Karezza rarely wanted anything the Ladronis made and the Ladronis were not interested in the things Karezza considered valuable. Weapons and the like... some of them were good for hunting, of course, and they took these things with good humor.

The song trailed off and Jocia smiled, dropping her hands to her lap. She wound the strings around her hand and stood up, waving goodnight to her neighbor before she went back inside. She lowered the shade, lit the bulb next to her bed, and placed her beads into the drawer. She removed her veil and gown, then went into her bathing chamber. There were, of course, other things that the Karezza offered her people. Often it was done without official sanction and carried out through back channels. She filled her basin with the sacred water, whispering a prayer as she dipped her fingers into the water and touched the moisture to her mouth, her heart, her nipples, and between her legs. 

“Water gives life,” she sang softly, “we all come from water, and water remembers.”

Jocia slid onto the smooth, petal-shaped surface of her basin. It was shallow, and the water barely came up to the midpoint on her body. She ran her hands through the water to either side and drew it up over her skin, watching as it coursed down over her navel, following her curves down to the hollow formed by her hips. The water gathered there as she lifted one dripping hand to activate the display screen platform. She had angled it so she could watch from the bath, and she bit her lip as she accessed one of the forbidden wavestreams. 

The image of a Karezza man appeared on the screen. Jocia idly ran her fingers over her breasts as she stared at him. Ladronis skin was blue, their women lean with corded muscles and thick waves of black hair. Jocia’s eyes were orange, but many people had yellow, white, or green irises. The Karezza, on the other hand, were hairy beasts. The man on the screen removed his uniform jacket, and Jocia touched the tip of her tongue to her lip as she watched him expose the fur on his chest. His skin was yellow-brown underneath the matching hair, and she touched her own hair. She imagined running her fingers through the Karezza man’s fur. She wondered if it would be smooth or coarse.

She moved a hand between her legs and used her fingers to guide the water against her sex. The Karezza man exposed himself, and she gasped quietly at the size of him. Most Karezza men were extraordinarily well-endowed compared to Ladronis, and she wondered if the pain of having that inside of her would be worth the pleasure. She sighed and closed her eyes as she imagined the possibilities, her wet back and buttocks sliding against her basin while the waves lapped up over her chest. It trickled over her nipples and down her cleavage, and she used her hand to create a pool of water against her mound as she watched the video. 

The man began to pleasure himself, and Karezza mimicked his movements against herself. His penis was sheathed, fully exposed only when it was tumescent. His thick fingers wrapped around the slick shaft, pre-moistened from its covering. Jocia closed her eyes and began to hum, moving her hips from side to side as her fingers teased her sex. She spread apart the cloaca to expose herself fully, circling her sensitive inner flesh before dragging her wet fingertip up to her clitoris. She teased it to full erection, rubbing her fingertip underneath to make it stand up before she began stroking. She lowered her other hand to press two fingers inside herself, arching her back as she imagined it was the Karezza man touching her, penetrating her, stroking her.

Jocia came silently, save for the susurrus of water moving against the sides of her basin. She spread her ejaculate over the length of her clitoris before it retreated back into her body, pressing her wet fingers against the lips of her entrance before sliding it back up over her mound. She used her dry hand to change the wavestream to something more mundane before she turned off the screen. 

She bent her knees and sank down deeper in the tub, then reached above her head to turn the water back on. The water level rose as she sank, covering her torso and then her face. She parted her lips so the last air in her lungs could escape in a series of gelatinous bubbles that rose lazily to the surface. Satisfied spiritually and physically she settled against the slick lower curve of her basin and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

#

In the morning she braided her still-wet hair and covered it with her veil. She carefully wound the beads around her wrist and throat, then covered them with the billowing cloth of her gown. She had several meetings that day, a few of them with representatives from Karezza. She was always able to maintain a professional distance during her face-to-face interactions with them. Her fetish was a private thing and not one she ever imagined she would act on. Regardless she was grateful she had taken the edge off before going to sleep the night before.

The diplomatic offices were located at the edge of town. A warren of stick-and-twig rooms joined together by long corridors, the Karezza visitors were often forced to stoop or half-crawl when they held meetings there. For this reason Salinde Resele, their main contact with the fleet, often invited “their esteemed Ladronis hosts” to hold the meetings aboard a Karezza vessel. Jocia was uncomfortable aboard the vessels. Smooth walls, slanted floors, burning lights set into the ceiling... it made her so uncomfortable she usually had to spend the rest of the evening soaking in her basin just to feel normal again. But the Ladronis were deferential people, and they would not exchange their discomfort for that of someone else.

The Karezza sent a ship to retrieve her and the other diplomats. She sat in the nut-shaped capsule and focused on the updates that had been provided. Reading while the ship was in motion prevented her from becoming queasy, and the information was necessary for their meeting. The Balanquin Conflict had escalated in recent weeks, overtaking the entire planet of Pelorum. The Acapsian and Paisian fleets were en route to help provide support for the Karezza contingent already in orbit above the battered planet. 

Jocia knew then what the meeting was about: Salinde wanted to move the majority of their fleet into the Pelorum system to help the fight. It would leave Ladrona unprotected, but they had existed for centuries without having guardians on their doorstep. She doubted the Balanquin Conflict would last more than five years, and that was a very small window for any potential attackers to become aware of their vulnerability and set up an invading fleet. Even if someone was lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to strike, the Karezza fleet could be back in a matter of days.

They docked at the flagship and she gathered her things with the rest of the ambassadors. Salinde was waiting at the airlock. She wore the ornate black, red, and white uniform of the Karezza military, the hair of her face shaved and combed back around her ears and jowls. She smiled and dipped her chin in greeting, then pressed her fist against her chest with the elbow extended. Jocia put her hand against her own chest and touched their elbows together.

“Brightening day,” Jocia and the other ambassadors sang, “and soothing waters upon your shore.”

“Welcome to you and your esteemed colleagues, Ephor Wison. I hope your journey was uneventful.”

“Indeed, Dux Salinde,” Jocia said. “Your proposal has been accepted.”

Salinde blinked, looked at the papers Jocia was holding, and pushed her jaw out in a gesture of mock frustration. “You have no idea how irritating it is when you do that.”

“You would rather endlessly debate and argue with one another?”

“No. But... it’s what we’re accustomed to with other races. Have you ever dealt with Humans?”

Jocia shook her head.

“Consider yourself lucky.” She reached up and feathered her hair with a quick toss of her fingers. “There’s no need for this to be a wasted trip. Have you eaten?”

“Not yet today.”

Salinde smiled and gestured for Jocia to precede her down the hall. “This way.”

They walked together, the junior Karezza officers and Jocia’s subordinates trailing behind them. Jocia resisted the urge to reach out and touch the walls. She had seen slideshows of the Karezza home world and, for that matter, Pelorum and other worlds. They lived in rigid structures made of steel, wood, and glass. Even more shocking was the fact they employed others to build their homes, or the homes were pre-made and then sold to whoever had the money. The idea was cold and alien to Jocia. She didn’t know if she would ever feel comfortable in a home she hadn’t constructed herself. She knew where all of the sticks came from, could hear the song of every bird whose feathers were woven throughout her rooms. Karezza and Balanquin had houses, but they could not be called homes by her measure.

Their vessels, however, were quite magnificent. The contours and smoothness of everything brought to mind her basin, and the conditioned air felt almost as cool as water on the exposed parts of her skin. When she was aboard one of their ships she could understand their aesthetic, but she couldn’t bring herself to even imagine calling a place like this home. 

Salinde escorted them into a large dining area where they sat on the floor, Ladronis on one side with Karezza on the other. Salinde instructed someone in the uniform of a subservient to bring them a meal that would be palatable to both races, and he hurried from the room. Jocia folded her hands in front of her dish.

“Your report indicated things were dire on Pelorum.”

“Yes. The Catarahh have proven to be craftier than we first anticipated. They seemed complacent but now our leaders believe that was just boredom. They prefer to fight, to war, and we have given them a new enemy to battle. They are thriving now.”

“At least the Balanquin natives are getting some relief,” Jocia said. “With their oppressors focused on fighting you and the fleet, they’ve no time to torture and enslave.”

Saline shrugged. “Perhaps. I’m sure they would prefer a cessation to all fighting and the Karezza out of their cities.”

“It will come to pass,” Jocia said. “I am confident. Your fleet is powerful and your soldiers are greatly skilled.”

Salinde considered that before she spoke again. “A kesris bug is small and stupid, but it is swift. If one gets into your home you cannot reason against it. Tactics mean nothing once it has skittered unseen under your seat. It blends into the colors and camouflages its movements by blending into the background. It doesn’t matter how strong or smart you are when it comes to a kesris bug.”

Jocia said, “True. But once the kesris bug makes the mistake of exposing itself, a swift hand is all you need to crush it to oblivion. Your strength is the hand, and your intelligence is the swiftness you will need. The bugs will be crushed in short order, I have no doubt.”

Salinde smiled. “Well said. I know that your blessings sometimes take a few minutes. If you would like to begin before the food arrives, we would not have an issue with that.”

“We would not wish to impose.”

Salinde smiled. “That is all right. I enjoy your singing.”

“Very well.” Jocia loosened her bracelets as the ambassadors to either side slipped small wooden tips over their fingers. They provided percussion to her voice as Jocia closed her eyes and began to sing a blessing over their food.

#

After their meal Salinde found Jocia standing in the glass portico that several crewmembers considered the “nose” of their vessel. Jocia smiled at the Dux’s approach but didn’t turn to look at her as the other woman stood beside her to look out at the stars. Ladrona’s neighbor was visible in the very far distance, an impossibly small orb of red in the lower left quadrant of the window. Beyond that was the universe. 

“Did you have a chance to watch the latest wavestream?”

Jocia smiled. “I did.”

“What did you think?”

“Enjoyable as always. Thank you for providing the access codes.”

Salinde nodded and clasped her hands behind her back. “You can report that we’re planning to leave in thirteen hours. I doubt the situation on Pelorum will require us to remain very long.” Jocia nodded. “Of course... you could always come with us.”

Jocia looked at her quizzically. “What precisely would be my purpose on such a mission?”

“Purpose... the purpose would be the mission itself. You’ve never been out of your own system, correct? Ladronis are infamous hermits. You don’t mind people coming to you, but when it comes to venturing out into the great black yourselves... This would be an opportunity to see what is out there first-hand rather than relying on our reports.”

Jocia had no idea what to say. The offer was very intriguing, but terrifying. All ambassadors had mentioned the idea of staying aboard a Karezza vessel but none of them actually planned to follow through with it. A Ladronis traveling all the way to Pelorum? She would be the first of her people to venture that far away from home. The thought made her giddy.

“Have you ever seen a Balanquin?”

“I...” Jocia’s cheeks flushed with color and she smiled shyly. “I have seen pictures.”

“Petite little things. Red skin. Definitely worth a look.”

Jocia laughed. “You are a terrible influence, Dux Salinde.”

Salinde put a hand on Jocia’s shoulder and squeezed. “Just something to consider. You have until tomorrow morning to make your decision. It’s not one to make lightly, of course, but... you would be an esteemed guest aboard our vessel if you chose to travel with us.”

“I think... I will think on it.”

“Good enough. Sleep well, Jocia.”

“And you, Ephor Wison.”

The captain of the vessel departed, and Jocia was again alone in the bulb of glass. She held her hands out to either side and moved them back and forth, letting the beads click like rain. She looked out into the stars and began to sing quietly under her breath. Far below on Ladrona, and elsewhere on the vessel, her brothers and sisters were singing the same song. If she could feel them, if she could sing alone and still feel as if she was part of the music, she would agree to Salinde’s proposal. 

She was midway through the fourth verse when her eyes snapped open. The same verses, the same chorus. For centuries their song had remained the same. It was the Great Chorus, after all. How could the Great Chorus be changed? Indeed, what could change something as grand and historic as the Great Chorus but something equally grand and historic? She stopped singing, a blasphemy so horrifying that her heart quickened in the silence, and she stepped forward.

The planets and the moons moved through the ether, and the darkness was pushed back by a multitude of stars, and among them all there was something else. There was music.

Jocia put her hand against the glass and closed her eyes. A part of her could still hear the Great Chorus from the millions of Ladronis souls singing it to their gods. She parted her lips and felt her voice rising in her chest, but what she sang was something new. Her eyes burned with tears and she tilted her head to the side as she murmured unknown lyrics, swaying from the ball of one foot to the heel of the other. Her voice cracked and she stepped away from the glass.

She knew then that there was only one answer she could possibly give to Dux Salinde. She would accept her offer of traveling to Pelorum, and once there she would decide if she wished to continue on to a different port of call before coming home. She had to go. She had to get away from the Great Chorus in order to breathe new life into the ancient hymn.

There was music out there, a refrain never heard by Ladronis ears. She intended to go out there and find it, and bring it back to her people.


End file.
